1) Injuries - Depending on what Packers are out on defense will make a world of difference to the Vikings chances. The only Vikings player with his salt that has been injured is Percy Harvin. If Harvin is back, he will play with a vengeance.

2) Penalties - Packers have 85 penalties to the Vikings 65 (mind you, this is including overturned and declined penalties). Which team makes the most gaffes will end up being the one without the momentum to drive the field. I'm pointing at Phil Loadholt here... he loves flags and he likes the color yellow.

3) Turnovers - Ponder is hot and cold, hot and cold, cold, cold, hot, cold, hot, hot, cold, cold. cold.... yeah, you get the idea. If Ponder wants to have ANY chance at putting points on the board he'd better hold on to the ball. Look, I like the kid, but it is frustrating as all get out when he rolls out of the pocket. He is not like Rodgers or Roethlisberger where when they roll out they actually have a chance to do something with the ball. Peterson needs to hold on to the ball.

Vikings are coming in after getting kicked around at Soldier Field last week. Your Packers are looking for a win after being stomped by the Giants. Perfect storm brewing? For one of the teams it is... both have a large chip on their shoulder right now and both NEED a win to stay in the running with the Chicago Bears and a playoff spot. I don't think the Packers defense is up to the challenge of stopping Adrian Peterson, but I think they will put enough pressure on the young Ponder to force him into making mistakes as well as frustrating the retarded turd of an offensive coordinator the Vikings have. Musgrave. The very name brings bile to my throat. Why hand it off to Peterson on 3rd down when we can throw it to our non-existent wide receivers? You get the idea.

If Ponder has a decent game and Harvin is back: Vikings 20-17

If Musgrave gets silly like he has and Ponder chokes: Packers 38-10

I am hoping for the former. Either way, I love watching our two teams play one another. It is a great rivalry!

Both teams are coming into this game desperate to erase a humiliating loss. Vikes success will hinge on Ponder. If he's halfway decent, the game will be close. AP, though he's put the ball on the turf more these past few games, should run all over us - heck, Bradshaw did! And Allen has 11.5 career stats in his last 6 games against the Pack. But, he's also not had any sacks in the past three games, including a game against Da Bears and that anemic O-line.

On the flip side, Matthews injury will continue to cause pressure problems. A disturbing trend has emerged in Rodgers' performance of late: he has not surpassed 250-yards in any of his last four games.

The difference is the Packers passing game versus the Vikes secondary. The Packers real QB rating - a stat by coldhardfootballfacts that measures the overall QB play, and not just the passing efficiency - is sixth best in the league (falling a couple spots after last week) at 92.37. Meanwhile, the Vikes' real defensive QB rating is 25th in the league at 86.58. Needless to say, it's a matchup the Packers will exploit.

The game will be close for a majority of it due to AP's dominance. But, Rodgers and the passing game will take over and the Pack pull away late.

I can see this game going one of two ways. Either a blowout by the Packers, or a close win decided by a filed goal or less. Unfortunately, the homer in me says my team will win a close one, but the realist sees the blowout. Rodgers just has to many weapons to throw to. If Chris Cook was around, maybe.

I can see this game going one of two ways. Either a blowout by the Packers, or a close win decided by a filed goal or less. Unfortunately, the homer in me says my team will win a close one, but the realist sees the blowout. Rodgers just has to many weapons to throw to. If Chris Cook was around, maybe.

Packers 35
Vikings 10

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Not to be an arse, but how would Chris Cook make that big of a difference? I've never been impressed with him. And he's been injured/suspended/jailed for practically all his career.

Not to be an arse, but how would Chris Cook make that big of a difference? I've never been impressed with him. And he's been injured/suspended/jailed for practically all his career.

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First he was never jailed.(Well except for that one weekend, for which he was aquited) Second I do believe this is his second injury, first one he had an infection that kept him out. This is a broken bone. Third, no matter what you think of him, he is good. Does losing Woodson make a difference? MN has some young and up and coming DB's. He is one of them. Smith is another.

I can see this game going one of two ways. Either a blowout by the Packers, or a close win decided by a filed goal or less. Unfortunately, the homer in me says my team will win a close one, but the realist sees the blowout. Rodgers just has to many weapons to throw to. If Chris Cook was around, maybe.

Packers 35
Vikings 10

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With last week's humiliation at NY and the weakness of our OL completely exposed, a blow-out may happen. If the Packers' OL and coaches don't feel a sense of urgency to get their **** together, then I swear half of them should be fired and released. I hope that means we'll see some real pass protection this week.

Have to see how much Jennings' return is going to help. He may be pretty rusty. If we can "hold" Peterson to 100 yds and 1 TD rather than 150 and 2TDs, Packers will roll methinks.

Unbelievable, the number of Minnesota license plates I've seen today with Packers license plate holders around them... Packers bumper stickers ... Packers window stickers. I just saw approximately 10 or more Minnesota vehicles in the Oshkosh Fleet Farm parking lot, the owners gathered outside the vehicles...did not see one person sporting Viking colors. Wow... I've never seen anything quite like it.

Unbelievable, the number of Minnesota license plates I've seen today with Packers license plate holders around them... Packers bumper stickers ... Packers window stickers. I just saw approximately 10 or more Minnesota vehicles in the Oshkosh Fleet Farm parking lot, the owners gathered outside the vehicles...did not see one person sporting Viking colors. Wow... I've never seen anything quite like it.

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You guys better BE LOUD tomorrow and do it when THE VIKINGS ARE ON OFFENSE only, when Ponder comes under center.... GOT IT?????

Unbelievable, the number of Minnesota license plates I've seen today with Packers license plate holders around them... Packers bumper stickers ... Packers window stickers. I just saw approximately 10 or more Minnesota vehicles in the Oshkosh Fleet Farm parking lot, the owners gathered outside the vehicles...did not see one person sporting Viking colors. Wow... I've never seen anything quite like it.

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There are more Viking fans that come to the Packer/Viking game than Bear fans coming to the Packer/Bear game

I can see this game going one of two ways. Either a blowout by the Packers, or a close win decided by a filed goal or less. Unfortunately, the homer in me says my team will win a close one, but the realist sees the blowout. Rodgers just has to many weapons to throw to. If Chris Cook was around, maybe.

Packers 35
Vikings 10

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First off, I've spent a lot of shared time in Lambeau with fans of the opposing teams and I've never had a bad experience with Viking fans at Lambeau. Matter of fact, some of the most memorable have been with Viking fans, again, in Lambeau. I went to a Viking/Packer game at the Met in Bloomington when I was younger (thanks Dad, very memorable weekend), but, had some issues with Viking fans at the Humpty - we've all got 'em. I don't have a problem with Viking fans or their team. Glad they're not in L.A.

Now...today's game. No blowout Raptor...so, slice up a couple extra venison sticks and settle in for a typical Central Division game. I'm thinking you're right on with a close...close...close...(almost irritating) game. A "whomever has the ball last" kind of thing. Understand that given the way the Pack played against the Giants, I'd LOVE to see a complete game with the end result being the Pack totally humiliating the Vikings, but alas, I don't see it. This Viking team isn't THAT far away from being consistently competitive.

There are more Viking fans that come to the Packer/Viking game than Bear fans coming to the Packer/Bear game

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I've never had the pleasure of flying into Minneapolis' airport ... but a friend of mine says that if you're a dyed-in-the-wool Vikings fan, it's kind of humiliating because there's as much Packers' stuff displayed and on sale as there is Vikings stuff...meaning there is a demand for it in "The Land of 10,000 Excuses".

I was saying that there seems to be a lot of Packers fans living in Minnesota. A former assistant of mine left banking years ago (smart move too-I wish I was forest ranger these days) went back to school and got her nursing degree. She's working at Mayo Clinic now ... buys her surgical scrubs and stuff from the Packers' Pro Shop. That just fricken kills me... Incidentally, she despised Brett Favre almost from the time he got to Green Bay. I speculated that she hated him so much because she tried hitting on him in a bar in Appleton or something, and she was the only woman he ever turned down - not true, she was and is still a stunner - but it sure did irritate her whenever I said it. Heh heh heh

Gang tackle Peterson, he'll cough it up. Find some way to get Rodgers time. Please!!! Screens, draws, quick slants, two tight end sets, and running the ball ocassionally to keep the pass rush honest. I say ocassionally because I don't see us being able to run the ball effectively against anyone. Plus a back can help in protection.